


Finding Joy

by Elayna



Series: The Detective and the Woobie 'Verse [11]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-28
Updated: 2011-07-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 08:23:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19390255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elayna/pseuds/Elayna
Summary: John takes Rodney to a concert.





	Finding Joy

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this as a mostly complete ramble in my LJ on July 28, 2011, recently came across it, and thought all the woobie fics should be together. Inspired by a trip to the State Fair and my own love for Three Dog Night. My thanks to Seaward for the betaing!

John bounced on his heels. "Get changed into shorts. I got tickets for Three Dog Night at the State Fair." 

"Three Dog Night?" Rodney asked blankly. "You mean the child is black the child is white the whole world looks upon the sight, a beautiful sight, that Three Dog Night? The band with the highly complex and articulate lyrics?" 

"At least they have the excuse of being a decade before ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don't we?" 

"Point taken, but it still doesn't explain why I would want to attend the State Fair, which will be miserably hot, and listen to people in their sixties sing songs of idealism from the seventies?" 

"I'll buy you a funnel cake?" John suggested. 

"Throw in a deep-fried onion and you have a deal." As Rodney walked up the stairs, he yelled back, "But I'm bringing my earplugs!" 

~~~~ 

The acoustics were atrocious, as Rodney had predicted, his earplugs muting the volume enough to make the noise bearable, and the temperature had cooled with the sun dropping, so at least he wasn't sweating in the open-air theater. John was in raptures, leaning forward in the horribly uncomfortable chair, often singing the words under his breath, one sandaled foot tapping in rhythm. Seeing John this openly happy was worth it, Rodney decided. 

~~~~

"This is a Tom Jones song!" Rodney yelled in John's ear, forgetting that John was probably hearing better than him, since he wasn't wearing earplugs. "Tom Jones! I can't believe they did that long lead-in about how they did this song first before Joe Cocker stole it and made it popular! Tom Jones made it popular!" 

John stared at him. "You know Tom Jones music?" 

Rodney crossed his arms over his chest. "My mom was a fan." 

That admission took John by surprise. Rodney never talked about his parents much. He was curious to learn more, but decided now wasn't the time to try to have a conversation. Instead, he leaned toward Rodney, and in perfect unison with the singer, crooned, "You can leave your hat on."

Not that Rodney ever did wear a hat, but when John stared into his eyes with that intense of a look, worrying about the attribution of the popularity of a song from last century seemed silly. 

~~~~

"They haven't sung Joy to the World!" John said, as the band waved and walked off the stage as the audience applauded. Rodney stood, because while the concert had been enjoyable—well, watching John enjoy the concert had been enjoyable—one song missing seemed tolerable. John kept clapping, as did many other audience members, so Rodney sat down again. 

The band quickly returned, unsurprisingly ripping into the opening vocals, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog." John clapped loudly a couple of times and then dropped his hands, watching with pleasure, leaning over to sing, "Joooooyyyy to you and me," in Rodney's ear. 

~~~

"I wouldn't have thought you were a big fan of Three Dog Night," Rodney said, as they sat on a bench, having decided that they needed to indulge in churros before leaving. Swallowing the last bite, he licked the cinnamon-sugar combination from his fingers. 

"It played on the radio a lot when I was a kid. I liked singing about the bullfrog." John had only finished half of his churro, and handed the rest to Rodney. "It made me happy." He bumped his shoulder against Rodney before twisting and laying down on the bench, his head in Rodney's lap. 

Rodney held the churro with one hand, finishing it, the other resting on John's chest.

"You make me happy," John added, as the fireworks signaling the end of the fair exploded overhead in bursts of brilliant color.


End file.
